Episode 98: Afghanistan, Plus-Size Clothing, and Swearing

On this week’s Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil J. Young debate Trump’s proposal for Afghanistan, plus-size clothing, and why swearing is on the rise.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

·         We discussed the war in Afghanistan and Donald Trump’s plan to send more troops to the country.

·         Clothing designers are finally designing more clothing for women who wear a size 14 or larger, but what took so long? Natalia talked about the ads Lane Bryant once ran for their larger-sized clothing. Neil mentioned this season of Project Runway is featuring models up to size 22. Natalia commented on Refinery29.com’s 67 Percent Project that has committed to diversifying the representation of models on its site.

·         More Americans are swearing these days, according to research conducted by the psychology scholar Jean Twenge. Neil noted that George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” from 1972 included words that today are commonplace.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

·         Natalia discussed the Los Angeles Times’s article, “Millennials Are Spending Big on Trendy Places to Sweat.”

·         Neil commented on the increasing popularity of cremation.

·         Niki talked about Seyward Darby’s Harper’s article, “The Rise of the Valkyries.”

Episode 97: Nazis in Charlottesville, the Google Memo, and Blondeness

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the role of neo-Nazis in the white nationalist violence in Charlottesville, the Google memo, and the political power of blondeness. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We discussed the deadly attack by white nationalists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia. Niki has written about her experience in Charlottesville for U.S. News & World Report and for Vox. In thinking about the history of Nazism in the U.S., Natalia recommended James Q. Whitman’s book, Hitler’s American Model, which examines how Hitler looked to American race law as a blueprint for Nazi Germany. Niki added Nina Silber’s Washington Post piece, “Worshiping the Confederacy is about white supremacy – even the Nazis thought so,” to the conversation. Natalia also shared Kenneth Jackson’s book, The Ku Klux Klan in the City, for understanding the northern and urban origins of the twentieth century KKK, and Timothy Snyder’s Black Earth which shows how Nazism’s goal was to destroy current state borders to create a white “utopia.”

• Google fired the software engineer James Damore for writing a memo, “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber,” where he argued women and men didn’t experience systemic bias at the company. (You can read the 10-page document here.) Natalia pointed to a Wired article that debunked Damore’s scientific claims. Neil noted that Damore’s first sit-down interview with an alt-right leader belied his claim that the memo represented an objective scientific project with no ideological agenda. In discussing the history of women in Silicon Valley and the computing industry, Natalia recommended Ben Allen’s Public Books review of Matthew Kirschenbaum’s Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing, and Marie Hicks’ history of British women computer programmers, Programmed Inequality.

• We debated Amy LaRocca’s article for The Cut, “Political Peroxide: Blonde Privilege.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Lifetime.com’s new history series, #SheDidThat.

• Neil commented on a history of traveling with cats.

• Niki talked about OkCupid’s decision to kick white supremacist Chris Cantwell off its site.

Episode 96: Stolen Valor, MLMs, and Private Roads

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate lying about Vietnam, multi-level marketing companies, and the privatization of public roads.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump has attacked Sen. Richard Blumenthal for lying about his military service in Vietnam, something that was uncovered during his 2010 run for office. Niki commented on the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, and Natalia noted that B.G. Burkett’s book, Stolen Valor, showed that the habit of journalists relying on personal accounts as evidence of military status resulted in many misrepresentations of wartime service.

• After a crackdown on multi-level marketing companies’ predatory practices during the Obama Administration, the Trump presidency looks to be a boon for MLMs. We discussed the Quartz article that argued MLMs like LuLaRoe are forcing people into debt and psychological crisis. Natalia compared the “mompreneurs” of MLMs to the “teacherpreneurs” we discussed in Episode 1. Neil explained why MLMs are so popular with Mormons, and Natalia shared an Al Jazeera article that showed MLMs also appealed to those involved in prosperity gospel churches. Natalia also recommended watching John Oliver’s takedown of MLMs.
   
• A Bay Area couple has bought Presidio Terrace, an exclusive street in San Francisco, for about $90,000. We discussed the development of roads and the history of privatization.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the news that Saks Fifth Avenue is offering a “prison-style bootcamp.”
   
• Neil commented on comments by Pastor Robert Jeffress that God has given Donald Trump authority to “take out” Kim Jong Un.

• Niki talked about Eric Grundhauser’s Atlas Obscura article, “The Eclipse of 1878 Almost Killed the Father of the National Weather Service.”

Episode 95: MS-13, R. Kelly, and Doctor Who

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the place of MS-13 in the history of street gangs, R. Kelly's sex cult, and the controversy over the first woman actor to play Doctor Who.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• In a speech in Suffolk County, NY, Donald Trump promised to eradicate MS-13, a street gang active throughout the U.S. and Central America. Natalia shared the Daily Mail’s interview with a former MS-13 member that emphasized the gang’s origins as a non-threatening social organization. Natalia commented on a New York Times profile of MS-13 in El Salvador showed it to be a violent but poor organization.

• In a piece for BuzzFeed, the music critic Jim DeRogatis exposed the hip-hop artist R. Kelly is holding women against their will in a “sex cult.” Neil discussed how academics had replaced the word “cult” with the term “new religious movement,” but wondered how best to describe R. Kelly’s situation. Natalia recommended Tricia Rose’s books for understanding misogyny in hip hop.

• Jodie Whitaker has been named the 13th Dr. Who, and the first woman to occupy the role. We discussed the famed BBC series and what Whitaker’s selection means for the history of women in science fiction.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Taffy Broddeser-Akner’s New York Times Magazine article, “Losing It in the Anti-Dieting Age.”

• Neil commented on news that Michiko Kakutani will be stepping down as chief book critic for the New York Times. Neil also commented on Kakutani’s review of Volker Ullrich’s biography of Hitler.

• Niki talked about Benjamin Coates’ Washington Post essay, “How a WWI-Era Law Set the Stage for the Trump-Russia Controversy.”

Episode 94: Boy Scouts, Eugenics, and Eloping

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Trump's divisive speech before the Boy Scouts, the return of eugenics in criminal justice, and the rising wave of elopements.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump’s recent speech at the Boy Scouts Jamboree has earned criticism for its political tone and inappropriate remarks. Niki pointed out that other presidents have given political speeches to the Boy Scouts, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George W. Bush, but Trump’s was unique for its partisanship. Natalia shared Amy Davidson’s New Yorker piece that argued Trump had distorted the one Boy Scout value he included in his speech: loyalty.

• A Tennessee county is offering reduced sentences to inmates who get long-term contraceptives. Natalia noted this news was far different than the “brosectomy” parties the Wall Street Journal reported some men are having. Neil commented on how Adolf Hitler had admired the forced sterilization laws of many U.S. states. Natalia mentioned a Salon article on North Carolina’s notorious history of forced sterilization.

• A recent story in the New York Times profiled couples who have chosen lavish elopements rather than traditional wedding ceremonies. We discussed the history of elopement and America’s “marriage industrial complex.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Jennifer Finney Boylan’s Public Seminar piece, “Mobilizing to Fight Trump’s Transgender Ban.”

• Neil commented on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.

• Niki talked about the origins of Pilates in a British World War I interment camp.

Episode 93: LIVE! Libraries, the Hamptons, and the Summer of Love

In this week's special live episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate funding cuts for libraries, the history of the Hamptons, and the legacy of the Summer of Love.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump’s proposed budget allots zero federal dollars to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. We discussed the history of public libraries in America during our live taping at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, New York.

• Although the Hamptons is known as a favorite summer destination spot for Manhattan’s wealthy, the region has a long and diverse history, including a historic summer community for African Americans in Sag Harbor.

• It’s the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. We debated how the historic gathering in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco transformed American attitudes about sex and sexuality. In our discussion of changing sexual norms, Natalia commented on Laura Kipnis’s new book, Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes to Campus.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the decision by the National Council of La Raza to change its name to UnidosUS.

• Neil commented on the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death.

• Niki talked about Guian McKee’s Washington Post article, “Why Are Republicans Trapped on Health Care? Because Democrats Stole Their Best Idea.”

Episode 92: Higher Ed & the GOP, the Reverse Great Migration, and Immigration in California

On this week’s episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate Republicans’ increasing distrust of higher education, the reverse Great Migration of African Americans to the South, and the last remaining fleeing immigrants sign in California.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• A recent Pew poll revealed that a majority of Republicans think colleges have a negative impact on the nation. We discussed the history of conservative criticism of American universities, including William Buckley’s famous polemic, God and Man at Yale. Natalia mentioned the historian Nancy McLean’s recent allegations that there’s a Koch-funded effort to discredit her work and that of other liberal scholars. We have discussed other university-related topics in previous episodes, including segments on intersectionality and on political correctness.

• Writing in the New York Times Sunday Review, Reniqua Allen argued that since racism is everywhere, African Americans might as well move back to the South. Allen’s article highlights the “reverse Great Migration” that has seen African Americans returning to the South for the last several decades. Natalia mentioned Edward Ayers’ book, The Promise of the New South, as a seminal work for understanding the changing South in the twentieth century. Neil commented on the cultural representations of Atlanta as a modern “black mecca,” including the Real Housewives of Atlanta and the Hulu series Atlanta.

• A story in the Los Angeles Times documented the last remaining immigrants fleeing sign just north of the Mexican border. (You can see an image of the sign here.) While Latinos have dominated the American conversation about undocumented immigrants, Niki shared Carly Goodman’s recent Washington Post piece on the preponderance of undocumented Irish immigrants in the U.S. in the 1980s. Natalia noted a recent Boston Globe article showed some of these undocumented Irish were being deported under Trump’s immigration executive order. Natalia added that despite the diversity of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., Latinos were still depicted as presenting a “distinct” challenge, as Samuel Huntington argued in a 2004 Foreign Policy article.  

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the new Salma Hayek movie, “Beatriz at Dinner.”

• Neil commented on the bicentennial of the bicycle.

• Niki talked about Trump’s privatization push, including placing military contractors and mercenaries in Afghanistan. 

Episode 91: Charlie Gard, Xennials, and Trump's New York

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate the case of Charlie Gard and parental rights, the new Xennial generation, and how New York City made Donald Trump.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We discussed the case of Charlie Gard, the 11-month-old baby with mitochondrial depletion syndrome who British courts have ordered be removed from life support. Donald Trump offered to help Charlie Gard on Twitter, and Pope Francis has extended his support for the family. Natalia noted Rachel Aviv’s 2015 New Yorker article on euthanasia in Belgium described an increasing how the practice had become increasingly destigmatized in Western Europe.

• There’s a new name for the microgeneration born between 1977 and 1983: Xennials. You can take the Guardian’s quiz to determine if you are a “true Xennial.” Natalia observed how generational identities, like the “Greatest Generation” popularized by Tom Brokaw’s book, are formed. Natalia also mentioned Beth Bailey’s work that shows the Baby Boomers had an explicit understanding that they were part of a generational shift in sexual morals and manners. Niki commented on the different ways that Time magazine has portrayed Generation X on its covers.

• Michael Kruse’s recent article in Politico examines “How Gotham Gave Us Trump.” In discussing Trump’s place in the history of modern New York, Natalia mentioned Kim Phillips-Fein’s Fear City and Jonathan Rieder’s Canarsie as useful books for understanding Gotham in this time period. Niki commented on Trump’s connection to the Central Park Five case, including the newspaper ads Trump ran in 1989 that called for the death penalty for the five men who would later be found innocent.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed the Shammara Lawrence’s Teen Vogue article, “Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian Accused of Stealing Ideas from Indie Black Designers.”

• Neil commented on the news that Hobby Lobby smuggled illegal artifacts from Iraq.

• Niki talked about the Declaration of Independence. 

Episode 90: Coconut Oil, Genetic Testing, and Porn

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the American Heart Association's denunciation of coconut oil, the growing use of genetic testing for genealogy, and whether Pornhub is the new Kinsey Report.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We discussed the American Heart Association’s recent report that called coconut oil as unhealthy as beef fat and butter because of its high levels of saturated fat.

• A story in the Atlantic reported that African Americans are using genetic testing sites like 23andme.com to trace their roots since the process of enslavement had denied many of them written records of their ancestry. We debated whether interest in genetic testing was an extension of the obsession with family trees and what it means that some white nationalists are looking to genetic testing to “prove” their whiteness.

• An article in New York magazine argues that “Pornhub is the Kinsey Report of our time.” In our discussion of pornography, technology, and censorship, Niki recommended Ray Haberski’s It’s Only a Movie! and Natalia added John D’Emilio and Estelle Freedman’s Intimate Matters for useful readings on the topics.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the news that yoga guru Bikram Choudhury is on the lam.

• Neil discussed the origins of the myth that JFK said “I am a jelly donut” in his 1963 speech in Berlin.

• Niki talked about the fiftieth anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act. She wrote about FOIA in a recent article for Vox.

Episode 89: Amazon & Whole Foods, Summer Jobs, and Gerrymandering

In this week's episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods, the disappearing teen summer job, and the politics of gerrymandering.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• We debated Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods for nearly $14 billion and what this means for the grocery industry. We previously discussed Whole Foods in Episode 31.

• According to a recent article in the Atlantic, teenagers have stopped getting summer jobs. We talked about shifting patterns in teenage work habits, including the rise of internships. Natalia recommended Ross Perlin’s book Intern Nation, and commented on Sen. Ben Sasse’s new book, The Vanishing American Adult. 

• The Supreme Court has accepted a gerrymandering case from Wisconsin for its next session. Natalia explained the word gerrymander was first used in 1812 to describe the redrawing of Massachusetts election districts under the supervision of Gov. Elbridge Gerry. One district looked like a salamander, so the portmanteau gerrymander was made out of the governor’s name and the legendary creature.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Judith Newman’s New York Times article, “Creating a Stylish World for Children with Autism.”

• Neil discussed Kat Chow’s NPR article, “How the White Establishment Waged a ‘War’ on Chinese Restaurants in the U.S.”

• Niki talked about the New York Times article, “Putin-Era Taboo: Why Some Soviets Aided Nazis.”

Episode 88: Theresa May, Goop, and Father's Day

In this week's episode, Niki, Neil and Natalia debate the outcome of the recent British election, Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop, and the history of Father's Day.

On this week’s Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil J. Young debate the British election results, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop, and Father’s Day.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The recent snap election in Britain resulted in a “hung parliament” and weakened support for Teresa May as Prime Minister. We discussed the results in the context of other recent elections in Europe and the U.S., including Britain’s vote on Brexit, a topic in Episode 40.

• Gwyneth Paltrow may leave acting to devote all her time to Goop, her lifestyle brand and website. Natalia placed Paltrow in a tradition of other lifestyle gurus, including Jane Fonda and Martha Stewart, but distinguished her from Oprah’s promotion of Dr. Oz, a subject of Episode 52. Natalia also noted that a New York Post profile of a recent Goop summit found many disgruntled attendees.

• Happy Father’s Day! We discussed why the holiday took so much longer than Mother’s Day to get official status and how fatherhood has changed through the years.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Donald Trump’s tweet that the Russia investigation is a “witch hunt.”

• Neil discussed the Southern Baptist Convention’s passage of a resolution denouncing the alt-right.

• Niki talked about Fox News dropping its “Fair and Balanced” slogan.

Episode 87: Pride Month, the Paris Accords, and Kathy Griffin

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the politics of pride marches, the history of climate change, and Kathy Griffin and the politics of offense.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• June marks Pride Month, although Donald Trump’s White House has not officially recognized it. We discussed the history of pride parades, and Neil talked about their connection to the Stonewall Riot of 1969. Natalia commented on the commercialization of LGBTQ pride, including Burger King’s Proud Whopper.

• Donald Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accords. We discussed the history and politics of climate change from the nineteenth century to today.

• Kathy Griffin and Bill Maher both have had to apologize for recent offensive expressions they’ve made. In discussing the history of political comedy and the politics of offense, Niki noted Lenny Bruce’s arrest in 1961 for obscenity and George Carlin’s famous riff on the “Seven Words You Can’t Say on TV.” Natalia argued that as a female comedienne Kathy Griffin faced additional scrutiny. We discussed female comediennes in Episode 22.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the website Click! The Ongoing Feminist Revolution.

• Neil discussed Rob Lammle’s article for Mental Floss on the history of the shopping cart.

• Niki talked about Joseph Earl Thomas’s essay, “House Hunting While Black.”

Episode 86: Truckers, NATO, and Spelling Bees

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the decline of the long-haul trucker, the future of NATO, and the national spelling bee.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• A New York Times article on long-haul truckers by Trip Gabriel detailed the declining status of truckers in American life. Niki commented the highpoint of truckers’ cultural cache in the 1970s, including popular cultural depictions like the movie Smokey and the Bandit. Neil cited Bruce Schulman’s argument in his book The Seventies about the “reddening” of America as another way of understanding truckers’ popularity in that decade. Natalia shared an essay in the Los Angeles Review of Books that observed what it called the “marginal characters” now attracted to the trucking profession.

• In light of Donald Trump’s inconsistent statements on NATO, we discussed the history of the North American Treaty Organization.

• Anayya Vinay recently won the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling “marocain.” Natalia commented on the historical evolution of spelling bees from educational experiences to competitions, demonstrated in part by ESPN’s broadcasting of the event. Niki noted that documentaries on spelling bees, including 2002’s Spellbound, focused on the obsessiveness of the pursuit. Natalia added that Sameer Pandya’s Atlantic article on Indian American domination of the spelling bee described the event as “America’s Great Racial Freaks-and-Geeks Show.” 

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Livia Gershon’s article, “Selling the Men’s Wedding Ring.”

• Neil discussed the discovery of the new shade of blue, YInMn.

• Niki talked about the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. 

Episode 85: The Cosby Trial, Wonder Woman, and Fidget Spinners

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate jury selection in the Bill Cosby trial, Wonder Woman and feminism, and the fidget spinner.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• In light of jury selection that has begun for Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial, we discussed the history of trial-by-jury. Commentators have drawn links between Cosby’s trial and the O.J. Simpson’s high-profile court case, something we discussed in Episode 25. Natalia recommended Estelle Freedman’s Redefining Rape for understanding how ideas of gender have shaped the history of sexual assault trials.

• A new Wonder Woman movie will be released on June 2. Natalia wrote a review for Public Books of several recent books on Wonder Woman, including Jill Lepore’s The Secret History of Wonder Woman and Noah Berlatsky’s Wonder Woman. Natalia also found herself agreeing with an essay in The Federalist by Leslie Loftis that argued Wonder Woman was a pop culture figure that seemed to offend everyone.

• Fidget spinners are the latest toy craze, coveted by both kids and adults. Neil compared fidget spinners to the other popular toy of the moment, the Kendama, while Niki situated them in a history of toy crazes, like the Pet Rock. Natalia commented on Rebecca Mead’s New Yorker article that deemed fidget spinners the perfect toy for the age of Trump, and recommended Gary Cross’s history of toys, Kids’ Stuff.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on Molly Young’s New York Times Magazine article, “How Amanda Chantal Bacon Perfected the Celebrity Wellness Business.”

• Neil discussed the reemergence of graphology.

• Niki talked about the physical attack of the Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs by the Montana Congressional candidate Greg Gianforte. 

Episode 84: Comey's Firing, Teeth & Dentistry, and the Bachelorette

On this week's show, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Jim Comey’s firing, teeth and dental care, and the Bachelorette’s first black star.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump has admitted he fired FBI director Jim Comey because he was investigating Russia’s role in the 2016 election. We discussed the usefulness of comparing Comey’s firing to Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre. Natalia shared the historian Nathan Connolly’s Facebook post that Trump’s decision reflected his businessman mindset where firing someone makes a problem go away.

• The Washington Post article, “The Painful Truth About Teeth,” investigated the huge divide in dental care for America’s rich and poor. We discussed the history of teeth and dental care in America, including Natalia’s remarks on the possibility that George Washington’s dentures came from the pulled teeth of his slaves. Niki remarked on the popular imagery of the terrifying dentist, such as Steve Martin’s sadistic dentist in Little Shop of Horrors. Natalia discussed how dentists have maintained a monopoly on dental care, something reflected in Mary Otto’s book Teeth. 

• ABC’s The Bachelorette has its first African-American star of the show. Neil observed the show would be airing during the 50th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court case that outlawed state bans on interracial marriage. Neil also noted the cast was the most diverse in the franchise’s history, although it still had a majority of white contestants. Niki drew links between the Bachelorette and season two of Lifetime’s Unreal, which featured a black bachelor in its dramatic depiction of a dating show similar to the ABC franchise. Natalia recommended the Public Books’ virtual roundtable on Unreal for more reading on that show.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the Atlantic article, “My Family’s Slave,” by Alex Tizon.

• Neil discussed his work with The OpEd Project.

• Niki talked about the death of Roger Ailes. Niki has written about Ailes for U.S. News and for Vox. She also recommended David Greenberg’s piece on Ailes in the New York Times. 

Episode 83: HBCUs, Rebecca Tuvel, and Commencement Speeches

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the Rebecca Tuvel controversy, and commencement speeches.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• Donald Trump recently suggested that a federal program that finances construction projects on historically black college and university campuses may be unconstitutional. But a few days later, he expressed “unwavering support” for HBCUs. Natalia observed Trump’s various moves to reach out to African Americans followed an Obama presidency that was often criticized for not reaching out to African Americans enough, something that the former president acknowledged in David Remnick’s New Yorker profile of him. Natalia also recommended Catharine Stimpson’s Public Books essay on how Trump looks to steer federal education funding to conservative Christian universities. Niki noted that in his book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates discussed how attending Howard University had uniquely shaped his life, something many graduates of HBCUs have argued. Neil drew parallels between the history of HBCUs and women’s colleges, and Natalia recommended Nancy Weiss Malkiel’s book, “Keep the Damned Women Out”: The Struggle for Coeducation, which traces the history of how elite universities opened their doors to women.   

• The philosophy professor Rachel Tuvel published an article in the feminist journal Hypatia that explored how arguments about transgender and transracial identities illuminate the logics behind how we think about identity. The article provoked great controversy, including an open letter condemning the article and an apology from Hypatia’s Board of Associate Editors. Tuvel has also earned her defenders, including Kelly Oliver writing in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Natalia commented on how conservatives, including David French at National Review, have viewed the controversy as the latest excess of campus liberalism.

• It’s graduation time! We discussed the history of commencement speeches, including famous addresses by Steve Jobs and Stephen Colbert.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the organization Student Diplomacy Corps.

• Neil discussed the killing of Jordan Edwards and the history of police shooting into moving vehicles.

• Niki talked about the firing of FBI director James Comey and comparisons to Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre. 

Episode 82: Fyre Festival, the 1992 LA Uprisings, and North Korea

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the causes of the Fyre Festival fiasco, the anniversary of the LA uprisings, and the history of US-North Korea relations.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• After the last-minute cancellation of the Fyre Festival, we discussed the history of music festivals and how they have become VIP luxury experiences. Neil noted that advertisements for Woodstock in 1969 showed it was a money-making venture.

• 2017 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Los Angeles uprising. Natalia commented on the public memory of the events, including the documentaries that have been made like A&E’s L.A. Burning. Niki observed how Spike Lee’s 1989 movie, Do the Right Thing, had reflected L.A.’s inter-ethnic tensions that were made more visible during the events of 1992.

• As Donald Trump appears to be pursuing a new course with North Korea, we discussed the history of North Korea and U.S. relations with the Korean peninsula. Neil shared his memories of visiting the Demilitarized Zone and the Joint Security Area, where North and South Koreans meet to negotiate. Niki contrasted Trump’s foreign policy approach with Ronald Reagan’s outreach to right-wing dictators, a strategy shaped by Jeane Kirkpatrick’s influential 1979 essay, “Dictatorships and Double Standards.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented the American Health Care Act passed by the House.

• Neil discussed the how Wall Street is now ignoring Donald Trump.

• Niki talked about the Heritage Foundation board’s removal of its president, Jim DeMint. We discussed this history of think tanks in Episode 47. 

Episode 81: The First 100 Days, Hawaii, and FGM

In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate Trump's first 100 days, the history of Hawaii, and the rise of female genital mutilation in the United States. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• April 29 marked the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency. Although Trump has downplayed the 100 day marker after previously vowing he’d deliver many campaign promises within such a time, Neil pointed out that the Trump White House has a website promoting his accomplishments in the first 100 days, including a rash of executive orders. (We discussed the history of executive orders on Episode 68.) Niki discussed some of the best and worst first 100 days presidents have had, something she has written about for Vox. Niki argued, however, that 100 days provided no useful metric for assessing a presidency, recommending instead we evaluate a president’s first year, something the Miller Center does with its First Year Project.

• In the wake of Jeff Sessions’s calling dismissal of Hawai’i as an “island in the Pacific,” we discuss the long history of Hawai’i and how mainland Americans have exoticized it through the years.

• Four people have bene arrested for cases of female genital mutilation in the U.S. We discussed the global history of female genital mutilation, including its past in Victorian England and twentieth-century America. Natalia commented on the controversy over the decision by a New York Times editor to use the term “genital cutting” for the procedure because “female genital mutilation” was deemed “culturally loaded.”

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia talked about the HBO series, Big Little Lies.

• Neil discussed the upsurge of Democrats announcing they are running for public office in response to the Trump presidency.

• Niki commented on the first round of the French presidential election.

Episode 80: Universal Basic Income, Scientific Racism, and Malls

In this week's episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the push for universal basic income, the rising visibility of scientific racism, and the disappearance of shopping malls. 

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The call for a Universal Basic Income has become popular again, thanks in part to attention Andy Stern has received for his recent book Raising the Floor. We discussed the unusual history of political support for guaranteed incomes, including from conservatives like Richard Nixon. Niki recommended Dissent magazine’s recent article on why liberals should be cautious about supporting a UBI. We made reference to prior Past Present episodes on healthcare and on Sweden.

• Scientific racism has reemerged in American public life, including the increased visibility of Charles Murray, author of the controversial book The Bell Curve from 1994. Writing for New York magazine, Andrew Sullivan also recently made scientific racist arguments regarding Asian overachievement. Niki has written about the history and reemergence of scientific racism for Vox and U.S. News & World Report. Natalia commented on Gizmodo’s list of the “9 Most Influential Works of Scientific Racism,” including the appearance of Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (2011).

• We discussed the decline of the indoor shopping mall.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on the New York Times op-ed, “My Daughter Is Not Transgender. She’s a Tomboy.”

• Neil discussed the 2016 election storyline on the reality show Real Housewives of New York.

• Niki talked about Obscura Day.

Episode 79: The Unfriendly Skies, Trump & Syria, and the Easter Egg Roll

In this week's episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate United's rough treatment of its passengers, Trump's missile attack on Syria, and the White House Easter egg roll.

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The brutal forced removal of a passenger from a recent United Airlines flight is the latest evidence of the unfriendly skies of air travel today. Natalia noted how different the contemporary flying experience is from the glamorous early days of air travel depicted in the 1967 stewardess memoir, Coffee, Tea or Me?, laying some of the blame on airline deregulation in the late 1970s. Neil pointed to 9/11 as another transformative moment for air travel, and noted that the increasing prevalence of camera phones meant airplane incidents could be easily captured, such as videos taken aboard United Flight 3411. Natalia observed how those who have defended United, such as Matt Walsh of the conservative website The Blaze, have argued that the problem was a resistance to authority rather than an example of corporate negligence or police brutality, as most others have argued.

• Donald Trump ordered a missile strike on Syria in response to a recent gas attack. Neil cited Niki’s article in The Age that argued the missile attack wasn’t a sign of Trump’s emerging foreign policy doctrine, but rather his impulsiveness. Niki mentioned Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman’s book, Donald Trump: The Making of a World View, for a contrasting view of Trump as consistent on foreign policy. In reference to Trump’s foreign policy, Niki also noted our prior episode on the “America First” ideology, and Neil recommended our previous episodes on Aleppo and Refugees for further discussions of Syria.

• Reports are that the Trump Administration is not prepared to host the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. We discussed the history of the Easter celebration at the White House. You can view historical pictures of the event here and here. Natalia remembered a Times of India article that discussed how President Obama incorporated yoga sessions in the 2016 White House Easter celebrations.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia commented on how the wife of Alabama’s governor, Robert Bentley, orchestrated his downfall after she caught him cheating.

• Neil discussed how Chechnya is torturing hundreds of gay men in detention facilities. Neil also recommended Jeff Sharlet’s 2014 GQ article, “Inside the Iron Closet: What It’s Like to Be Gay in Putin’s Russia.”

• Niki talked about the Slate article, “The Week the World Almost Ended.”